Battle armor

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A Clan Elemental battle armor cut-away

Battle Armor, or their lighter Power Armor variety, are armored infantry, seen on the battlefields of the Human Sphere mainly since the mid-29th Century.

Description

Battle armor vary in mass between 80 and 2,000 kg, including the mass of the occupant. The suits utilize Exoskeletal frames and protective armor, which, in combination with varying amounts of Myomer, can augment the strength strength and/or speed of the wearer. However, some classes of battle armor have just enough myomer to allow the infantryman within to carry or move the mass of the suit itself. Battle armor may be vaguely bipedal humanoid or quadrupedal in form; if quadrupedal, the soldier within the battlesuit resides in a cramped cockpit and operates the armor similarly to a small combat vehicle. Offering jump capability or limited flight (or UMUs) increases the maneuverability of the soldier and can provide another distinct advantage versus conventional infantry. Classes of battle armor also mount varying anti-'Mech and anti-personnel weaponry. Bipedal battlesuits may also mount one or two manipulators, including myomer-articulated Battle Claws. Battlesuits possessing enough manipulators and massing up to 1,500 kg may deploy and fight with OmniMechs using Mechanized Battle Armor tactics. Battlesuits massing up to 1,000 kg may also swarm 'Mechs and attack 'Mech actuators. Battle armor Life support, sensors, and stealth equipment are also common, though the exact capabilities depend on the armor in question. For example, Elemental armor is renown for its life-support system and intravenous combat drugs, which increase the durability and survivability of the already super-human Elementals soldiers. In order to operate the armor and all of the equipment, battlesuits make use of large batteries. If these battle armor can deploy onboard an OmniMech, the suit will also have adapters to connect to communications and charge their batteries during missions. Some battle armor systems are completely modular. Modular battlesuit mounts allow personalization (for instance, left-handed preference), and are especially useful for Inner Sphere battle armor; missile systems of Inner Sphere battle armor hinder jump jet function until jettisoned. Clan battle armor are somewhat more resilient that thier Inner Sphere successors not only because of their Elemental infantry, but also because they possess atmospheric sealing equipment using a hardening gel called HarJel, which was discovered during the mid-29th Century.[1][2][3][4]

Used correctly, battle armored troops can easily outmatch their conventional brethren and even defeat vehicles and 'Mechs. Their superior armor and weaponry, coupled with their roughly human size, make them good forces for fighting in built up areas where 'Mechs and vehicles have trouble maneuvering.

History

Elementals

Modern battle armor was developed by Clan Wolf during the mid-29th Century. In order to utilize the resource-rich deep-seas of Dagda, Clan Goliath Scorpion introduced titanium-encased diving Exoskeletons, nicknamed "Water Elementals", in 2842. Impressed with their neighbor's new technology but mindful of the martial capabilities, Wolf scientists had their merchants trade 20 years of resources rites to their Dagdan ocean enclaves for the technology to produce the exoskeletons. Secretly, Wolf scientists then weaponized the system in order to improve upon Star League-era Nighthawk Power Armor (Light). Several types of specialized, mission- and environment-specific battle armor were developed, but all-purpose "Elementals" became standard by 2867.[5][6][7][8][3] In 2868, Elementals saw their first combat. Two stars of the battle armor infantry defended in a Trial of Possession against a light star of Clan Nova Cat's Delta Galaxy. The battle armor won in a stunning victory, and forecast a new era in which infantry would once again be capable of offensive military action.[9][10][11][3]

Shortly after the Wolf-Nova Cat Trial, Clan Hell's Horses new super soldiers became the standard battle armor infantry. Clan Wolf's new Elementals attracted the attention of Clan Hell's Horses, despite their semi-isolation early in the Golden Century. While left alone, the Horses had developed their own novel breeding protocols and genetic legacies, creating super-human infantry, the soon-to-be-named "Elemental" phenotype (after the armor). With their initial super-human sibkos just years from their majority the Horses acted swiftly to ensure their infantry would be well equipped. Hell's Horses' Khan Eric Amirault preemptively batchalled Clan Wolf's Khan Alexis Ward, intending to use Trials of Possession as a means to exchange their technological advances. After a series of counter-offers, the two Khans settled on a set of three Trials, conducted on the Northern-most continent of the jointly owned world Tiber later in 2868. Clan Wolf won two of the three Trials, while Clan Hell's Horses won one. Both Clans were satisfied they had obtained either "Elemental" bloodlines or their signature battle armor. Unfortunately for both parties, Clan Jade Falcon raided just after the Tiber Trials and took both the armor and "Elemental" phenotypes from Clan Wolf, ultimately resulting in the spread of both technologies.[12][13][14][3] As with the OmniMech before, subsequent Trials of Possession over coveted Elemental technology were adjudicated by ilKhan Zenos Danforth until his death in 2870.[15][16] Despite the rapid spread of Elemental battle armor and Elemental warrior phenotypes, the Horses enjoyed an advantage for some time; the first of their Elemental Infantry reached adulthood in 2870.[15]

That same year, Clan Hell's Horses also pioneered 'Mech-based Mechanized Battle Armor tactics. Relative to other types of Infantry, Elementals have significantly more armor and firepower, but are only modestly more mobile. Without a significant improvement in mobility or range of weaponry, Elementals would be constrained to either offensives in extreme environments, or defensive duties on land. Combat Vehicles could provide some much needed mobility for Elementals, but vehicles lack in durability and maneuverability on difficult terrain. Clan Hell's Horses scientists provided another solution. As the first Elemental sibkos reached the field in 2870, Clan Hell's Horses introduced their first home-grown OmniMech, the Nova. The Nova featured handholds, communications ports, and power outlets for their Elemental passengers. Deployed in units also called "Novas", the Nova OmniMech could operate concertedly with its Elementals, a revolutionary change in 29th Century infantry combat doctrines. Mechanized Battle Armor capability through the Nova's modifications became standard on all subsequent OmniMech design.[17][18][19][20][21][22][23]

Modern Inner Sphere Battle Armor

Battle armor was introduced, or rather reintroduced, to the collective consciousness of the Inner Sphere by the Clans during their Operation REVIVAL in 3050. The Invading Clans used Elementals in their attacks, which confounded and caused great damage to Inner Sphere defenders. In response Spheroids attempted to reverse engineer the technology.[24]

Fortunately for the Inner Sphere, the military-industrial complex had several factors in favor of quickly bridging this steep technological gap. ComStar's access to Terran records, though largely purged before Aleksandr Kerensky's Exodus, hinted at secret Nighthawk Power Armor units used sparingly in special operations.[7] Inspired, ComStar attempted unsuccessfully to replicate Nighthawk armor in secret before the Clan Invasion, based the small amount of data remaining. Their efforts lowered the learning curve for post-Invasion attempts. Additionally, Inner Sphere realms are rich in resources like raw materials, laborers, or capable design teams.[25]

With so much effort devoted to battle armor development, the first examples of Inner Sphere battle armor were successfully deployed with just one year of the beginning of the Clan Invasion. Two designs from the New Avalon Institute of Science deployed simultaneously in 3050, Infiltrator Mk. I[26][27] and Sloth[28][29] Battle Armors. Salvage and capture of Clan Elemental Armor also led to Inner Sphere-tech clones, Inner Sphere Standard Battle Armors. Oddly, despite small differences, functionally identical battle armors appeared throughout the Inner Sphere, perhaps due to rampant corporate espionage during the desperate years of Operation REVIVAL. Precursors to Inner Sphere Standard Battle Armor were ready for the Battle of Luthien in 3051, and further refinement improved performance in time for deployment by the Com Guards during the Battle of Tukayyid in May, 3052.[30][31]

Diversification

With a surplus of materials and a short window of time available after the Truce of Tukayyid, designers throughout the Inner Sphere revisited the roles and capabilities of battle armor in order to adapt to specific missions. Infiltrator Mk. I's small sensor profile and ease of infiltration and Sloth's firepower may have initially inspired this trend, but each new battle armor solicited their own reactions and rival development. Even some Homeworld Clans, hearing reports of novel and varied Speroid battle armor, put aside nearly two centuries of complacency to begin a crash course in battle armor development. By mid-3062 each House, several Clans, and even some mercenaries, had adapted battle armor to a variety of mission profiles.[32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42]

Deployment

Battle armor are widely deployed in a variety of roles depending upon their mobility, armor, and available weaponry. Units of battle armor infantry are most often deployed in units of four (Inner Sphere, Periphery, and Mercenaries Squads)[43][44][45][46][47][48][49], five (Clan Toumans' Points[50][51][52] and Marian Hegemony Armed Forces), or six (ComGuard and Word of Blake Militia Level Is).[53][54]

Additionally, battle armor is fielded in mixed formations; their combination of unit types improves unit cohesion and cooperation relative to two separate formations. Clan battle armor points are frequently deployed in mixed binaries of OmniMechs and battle armor, called "Novas", with each point drilled to cooperation with a single MechWarrior. Should all of the stars of an OmniMech binary or trinary be replaced with novas, the units are referred to as "supernova".[55][50][51][52][3] The Capellan Confederation fields several types of mixed units called "Augmented Lances", of which two include battle armor. The (Secondary) Augmented 'Mech Lance consists of a mix of four BattleMechs and two squads of battle armor. The (Secondary) Augmented Vehicle Lance, consists of a four combat vehicles and four squads of battle armor.[56]

In addition to their use by military units, suits of battle armor are also utilized by private security and police forces.

See Also

References

  1. ↑ Technical Readout: 3050, p. 8
  2. ↑ LosTech: The MechWarrior Equipment Guide, pp. 57-58
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Era Report: 3052, pp. 103-104
  4. ↑ TechManual, pp.157-173
  5. ↑ Technical Readout: 3058 Upgrade, p. 44 Clan Elemental battle armor - Wolves originally developed their combat exoskeletons from deep sea diving gear.
  6. ↑ Field Manual: Warden Clans, p. 104
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Era Report: 2750, pp. 103-104
  8. ↑ The Clans: Warriors of Kerensky, pp. 16, 68
  9. ↑ Field Manual: ComStar, p. 117
  10. ↑ Field Manual: Crusader Clans, p. 135
  11. ↑ The Clans: Warriors of Kerensky, p. 31
  12. ↑ Field Manual: Crusader Clans, p., 54, "Golden Century" - the Clan Hell's Horses and Clan Wolf takes part of in technology-exchange trials that lead to formulation of the modern Clan Elemental battle armor squads.
  13. ↑ Field Manual: Crusader Clans, p. 135
  14. ↑ Field Manual: Crusader Clans, p. 35
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Era Digest: Golden Century, p. 10
  16. ↑ Field Manual: Warden Clans, p. 41
  17. ↑ Technical Readout: 3050 Upgrade, p. 126
  18. ↑ Technical Readout: 3050, p. 225
  19. ↑ Technical Readout: 3050 Upgrade, p. 112
  20. ↑ Existing OmniMechs could have been refitted and retrofitted, but this has not been explicitly stated[1]
  21. ↑ Total Warfare, p. 226, "Mechanized Battle Armor"
  22. ↑ Field Manual: Warden Clans, p. 12
  23. ↑ Field Manual: Crusader Clans, p. 10
  24. ↑ Technical Readout: 3050, p. 225
  25. ↑ Technical Readout: 3058 Upgrade, p. 8
  26. ↑ Technical Readout: 3058 Upgrade, p. 14
  27. ↑ MUL online dates for Infiltrator Mk. I Battle Armor [2]
  28. ↑ Technical Readout: 3058 Upgrade, p. 34
  29. ↑ MUL online dates for Sloth Battle Armor [3]
  30. ↑ Technical Readout: 3058 Upgrade, p. 26
  31. ↑ Technical Readout:3058 Upgrade, p. 6
  32. ↑ Day of Heroes, pp. 25-29
  33. ↑ Field Manual: Draconis Combine, pp. 154-157
  34. ↑ Field Manual: Free Worlds League, pp. 136-137
  35. ↑ Field Manual: Mercenaries, p. 134
  36. ↑ Field Manual: Crusader Clans, pp. 181-184
  37. ↑ Field Manual: Warden Clans, pp.186-189
  38. ↑ Field Manual: ComStar, pp. 147-149
  39. ↑ Field Manual: Capellan Confederation, pp. 142-143
  40. ↑ Field Manual: Lyran Alliance, pp. 144-146
  41. ↑ Field Manual: Federated Suns, pp. 156-158
  42. ↑ Technical Readout: 3058 Upgrade, pp. 6-8
  43. ↑ Field Manual: Draconis Combine, p. 19
  44. ↑ Field Manual: Free Worlds League, p. 20
  45. ↑ Field Manual: Mercenaries, p. 28
  46. ↑ Field Manual: Capellan Confederation, p. 35
  47. ↑ Field Manual: Lyran Alliance, p. 27
  48. ↑ Field Manual: Federated Suns, p. 23
  49. ↑ Field Manual: Periphery, p. 16
  50. ↑ 50.0 50.1 Field Manual: Crusader Clans, p. 9
  51. ↑ 51.0 51.1 Field Manual: Warden Clans, p. 11
  52. ↑ 52.0 52.1 Field Manual: ComStar, p. 8
  53. ↑ Total Warfare, p. 214, "Battle Armor Organization/Weight Table"
  54. ↑ TechManual, p. 172, "Recommended Battle Armor Formations Table"
  55. ↑ Technical Readout: 3050, pp. 224-225
  56. ↑ Field Manual: Capellan Confederation, p. 36

Bibliography

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